Water Analysis – News and Features

A study highlights how water quality offsets can be improved in regions like Cairns and Mackay. The research emphasizes the importance of effective measurement.

Researchers have discovered how cells of a Comamonas bacterium are breaking down plastic for food. They chew the plastic into nanoparticles, secrete enzymes and ultimately use a ring of carbon atoms from the plastic as a food source.

A new study has measured the toxicity of several types of PFAS, better known as “forever chemicals,” when mixed together in the environment and in the human body.

Researchers found that leave-on cosmetic products, like sunscreens and moisturizers, are poorly studied regarding microplastic contamination. The review calls for increased regulatory focus on these items.

Researchers show how water systems, such as desalination plants and wastewater treatment facilities, could help enhance grid stability and create new revenue streams.

Researchers have developed a method to recycle valuable metals from electronic waste more efficiently, while significantly reducing the environmental impact typically associated with metal recycling.

Bacterial communities in soil are as resilient to human urine as synthetic fertilisers – making recycling the bodily fluid as a fertiliser for agricultural crops a viable proposition, according to a new study.

Researchers from the University of Birmingham found that applying stored human urine as fertilizer has minimal negative effects on soil bacterial communities, making it a viable alternative to synthetic fertilizers.

First used in the 1940s to monitor for polio, wastewater surveillance proved to be a powerful disease-monitoring tool. Researchers have now shown that domestic sewage monitoring is useful for foodborne pathogens.

A team created a computational workflow for analyzing metabolomics data, applied to pollutants in Southern California seawater. The tool is user-friendly for both beginners and experts, facilitating faster understanding of ocean pollution.